Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
"Oh, my fucking God !"
The woman standing in front of Liam has straight black hair, pale skin, and brilliant blue eyes. She looks like Snow White, or maybe the evil queen. He hasn't decided which.
Tori introduces her as Fiona. She's the first person to arrive for the party today.
"So you're the new boyfriend!" Fiona eyes him with excitement. "The one everybody hates?"
His brows go up.
"Where did you hear that?" Tori accepts the bottle of wine she brought. "Not from my brother, I hope."
"Who else?" Fiona smirks. "As soon as I mentioned this party, it was obvious something was wrong. Like he could keep a secret from me ." She laughs with satisfaction. "He cracked open just like a walnut."
Tori seems worried. "Did he really say that?"
"Don't worry about it." Fiona's tone becomes sympathetic. "He thinks he's being the protective older brother. He'll calm down."
"I hope so."
Fiona turns her blue high beams on him again. "Just so you know, I don't hate you. At least not yet ."
He's not sure how to respond. Fiona has a beautiful appearance, but there's something wrong with her personality.
"I know I'm early," she says, turning back to Tori. "But I thought I'd come and help."
"Where's Sachi? She's coming too, I hope."
Fiona nods. "My better half. She'll be here later. Also, I haven't told you the latest with Lindsay." She explains how their friend Lindsay's been getting a lot of attention from the media at the World Series of Poker. "Apparently someone told them her father used to be a famous poker player, and now the press is swarming around her. Not to mention she's winning all her tournaments. Isn't it wonderful?"
"That is great," Tori says. "I'm glad she's winning. I hope we'll catch her on TV today."
The dogs come over as the three of them stand in the kitchen. They all seem to know Fiona, and after sniffing her, and some awkward petting on Fiona's part, they go back to their usual routine.
"Most everything is ready," Tori tells her sweetly. "There really isn't much else to do. Why don't you and Liam sit out back and get better acquainted?"
Liam nearly protests. He doesn't want to get better acquainted with this strange woman .
"I'd love to!" Fiona claps her hands.
As a result, he's stuck outside with her alone.
He hasn't been looking forward to dealing with Tori's family today—especially Blair and Road—but after five minutes of Fiona's unblinking stare, he decides Road's threats are going be a welcome relief.
"So what do you do?" He takes a sip from his iced tea, trying to be polite. Tori's added blackberries and sage to the tea, and he has to admit it's delicious.
"I'm a media and marketing specialist."
He tries to think of something else to say, then notices she's still staring at him intensely. "Is there something wrong?"
"You're handsome," she declares. "Nobody told me how handsome you are."
"Um… thanks."
He looks out at the yard, wondering where all the dogs have gone, wishing they'd come to his rescue. They're probably in the kitchen with Tori.
There's a gasp from Fiona, and when he turns back to her, she's studying him with an even keener interest.
"What?"
"Your profile! My God. You have an incredible profile!"
Before he knows what's happening, she's whipped her phone out and is taking pictures of him.
His mouth falls open. "What the hell are you doing?" He nearly grabs the phone from her hands. "You can't take pictures of me!"
In that moment, Tori slides the screen door open and comes onto the back patio. "Everything okay out here?" she asks in a helpful voice. "Would anyone like more to drink?"
Meanwhile, Fiona is still snapping away. "Yes, that's perfect! Hold that expression!"
His brows slam together as he glowers. "Give me that phone," he demands with his hand out. "This instant."
"Could you grow your hair out longer in back?" Fiona asks excitedly. " And lose ten pounds? You're a little bulky." She reconsiders, studying his shoulders. "Maybe just five."
Liam turns to Tori incredulous. "Who the hell is this woman?"
"What are you doing?" Tori asks her with curiosity.
Fiona tells them about one of her clients, a photographer who's putting together a book of photos featuring everyday life in America. "He'd be perfect for the cover!"
"Are you nuts? I'm a federal agent."
"I know!" she shrieks. "I love it! It's so real life. You're just like a real person."
"I am a real person."
"Liam can't have a picture of himself on a book," Tori explains to her patiently. "He works undercover."
"That's right. A picture of me on some book is the last thing I need."
"Don't be silly," Fiona says. "No one will recognize you. It's just your profile."
"You think people won't recognize my profile?"
She rolls her eyes. "Trust me, people are idiots."
After a lot of fuss and more eye rolling from Fiona, Liam finally gets her to delete all the photos of him off her phone. He's still amazed she took them without his permission in the first place.
As more people arrive, he's introduced to a lot of Tori's family and friends. The family is mostly cousins as far as he can tell. Plenty of tattoos and long hair. A few of them arrive on motorcycles. Tori invited her mom and Wayne, though they both declined to come.
He pastes a polite smile on his face. No one seems to know or remember their unpleasant history from high school, which is something of a relief. He’s drinking iced tea and considers switching to beer, then figures it's best to keep a clear head. The television is on in the living room, showing live coverage of the World Series of Poker .
"It's too bad you won't be able to meet Natalie and Anthony," Tori says, coming up to where he's watching the TV screen. "Natalie is Lindsay's sister. They flew to Las Vegas a few days ago to cheer her on in person."
He glances around the room at the new faces he's already met. "This is plenty for now."
She slips her arm around his. "How are you doing? Are you overwhelmed?"
He gives her a wry grin. "Don't worry about me. I'm good."
"Okay." She puts her hand up and strokes his jaw. "Kiss me."
He does and is instantly surrounded by sunshine. Tori warms him like a summer day. They smile at each other. And in that moment he knows he'd meet a thousand of her cousins, deal with a million of her biker relatives, as long as he gets to be with her.
"Sorry we're late!"
They both look up. Blair, with her auburn hair and hazel eyes, rushes up to them, holding a large cake platter filled with cupcakes. She glances at him but mostly focuses on Tori.
Unfortunately, Road comes up right behind her, carrying another platter of pastries.
"Thank you so much for bringing those," Tori says, obviously thrilled. "Let's put them in the kitchen."
"I can take that from you," he says to Blair, trying to be helpful.
"That's okay." She sniffs in a haughty way. "I've got it."
Road walks past him, and the two of them give each other a level stare.
Once he's alone again, he blows his breath out.
This is going to be a long party .
For the next couple hours, he mingles, drinking endless glasses of iced tea as he makes small talk. A lot of eyebrows go up when people find out he's with the FBI. Some are curious and ask questions, though others prefer to keep their distance.
Happily, Peyton and her husband arrive, and he enjoys talking to them .
"Brody's here," Tori announces to everyone excitedly. "He drove my new minivan, Samantha!"
They all go out to inspect the vehicle. It's white and shiny, and by all appearance seems to be a step up from the previous one.
Liam’s introduced to a middle-aged blonde woman named Lisa, who’s Brody's mom.
"Nice to meet you," he says, shaking her hand.
She smiles and eyes him with interest. "You too." Lisa looks like a toned-down version of Tori's mother, and he figures the women must be sisters. She gives Tori a quick hug. "Congratulations on your new van, honey."
"Thanks, Aunt Lisa."
Tori walks around the outside of it as everyone watches. People are commenting on how it's a good-looking vehicle.
"What do you think?" Brody asks her.
"Just perfect." She hugs her cousin. "I love her. She's beautiful."
"Glad you approve." He grins and hands her the keys. "I had the guys at the shop detail her for you, so she's looking real sharp."
"Thank you."
A few people come over and speak to Tori. After a short while, most of them head back into the house.
"Is my sister here?" Lisa asks her.
"No, she and Wayne didn't want to come."
Lisa rolls her eyes. "It figures." She glances at him. "Don't you two worry about her. Just enjoy each other."
Aunt Lisa leaves to join everyone inside the house. Liam stays with Tori to watch as Brody shows her how everything works with her new van.
Unfortunately, Blair and Road also stay. The air between the three of them is thick with tension.
After her cousin's done going over the specifics with her, she comes over to stand beside Liam. Brody describes to all of them how the transaction happened and how much he was able to bring the seller down from his initial asking price .
Liam senses something's off with Tori. She's grown quiet, fingering the blue streak in her hair. He reaches for her hand. "You okay?" he whispers.
She nods, though her gaze is conflicted. "I'm sad about Mable. Is it wrong for me to feel like that when I have Samantha now?"
He squeezes her fingers. He considers pointing out to her that these are just cars. Cars don't have feelings. But he already knows that’s not how she sees it. Her attachment and loyalty seem to extend beyond most people’s. She's unique. And it's her uniqueness that he's grown to love so much. In some ways there’s a childlike quality to Tori, and he suspects it’s something she uses as counterpoint to the heaviness she grew up with. She needs that lightness in her life. He needs it too. He's never seen magic in the world like she does, but Tori keeps showing him it exists.
"It's not wrong to miss what you had," he says. "But I think Samantha seems great."
She smiles. "She does, doesn't she?"
They tune back into the conversation. He notices Blair's eyes flicker down to the way he and Tori are holding hands. Road's watching them too, though glaring would be a better description.
Liam ignores them both.
"I better go check on the party inside," Tori tells everyone. "Make sure people have what they need."
"I'll join you," Blair says.
Unfortunately, this leaves him alone with Brody and Road.
An AC/DC song drifts out from the house. He's tempted to go back inside too but stays. He figures it's time to have a conversation with Road, clear the air. If it has to happen with his cousin here, then so be it.
"Do I know you?" Brody asks, stroking his black goatee, studying him. "You look familiar."
"I don't think we've met." He takes Brody's measure. He's big like Road, though he appears to be a few years younger. They don't look much like cousins. Where Road is blond like Tori, Brody has dark hair and eyes.
"Really? What's your name again?"
"Liam."
He continues assessing him like he's trying to figure something out. "And your last name?"
"Castillo."
Meanwhile, Road’s hostility hasn’t changed. "You better be careful with my sister, and I'm not fucking kidding."
"Tori means the world to me." Liam looks him directly in the eyes. "I'd never hurt her."
"Better pray you don't."
"Holy shit." Brody’s face lights up.
"Don't know what you think you're doing here," Road goes on. "But if I hear one bad word from her, there'll be hell to pay."
"Dude." Brody turns to his cousin with confusion. "What the fuck is wrong with you? You know who this is, don't you?"
"’Course I know who this is." Road's expression turns menacing. "I know exactly who this is."
"He played for San Diego ten years ago. He was their catcher."
Liam's eyes widen and flash to Brody. This is the last thing he expected.
Road is still glaring at him, but glances sideways at his cousin. "What?"
"Damn," Brody says to Liam with a grin. "You were one hell of a ballplayer. Three hundred batting average. A hundred RBIs and fifty home runs."
"Actually, it was .330 with 103 RBIs and 67 home runs." He can’t help smiling.
"All right, man. Nice!" Brody high fives him, and they slap palms. "Real tough break about your knees."
Road is staring at Liam with his mouth open. He appears shocked. "Jesus Christ, you’re that Liam Castillo?" He puts his hand on his forehead like he’s going to faint. "Can't believe I never put that together."
Brody's gone back to stroking his goatee. "You were in the minors too, weren't you? Let me think about that. Was it Chicago? No." He holds his finger up. "Texas, am I right?"
"You're right," Liam says, impressed with his baseball knowledge. "I played for a year with the minors in Houston before I was picked up by San Diego."
"I knew it. So what are you up to these days?" Brody asks. "Anything with baseball?"
"He's an FBI agent," Road says.
Brody's brows shoot up to his hairline. "Damn, no shit. Is that true?"
"Yes, it's true," Liam acknowledges. "I'm a special agent with the FBI."
Brody nods slowly. "So now you're catching criminals instead of baseballs.” He chuckles and puts his hand out to shake. "Well, damn, it sure is a pleasure to meet you."
Liam grips it. "You too."
"And you're Tori's boyfriend. Can't believe she never mentioned any of this to me."
"Me either," Road mutters. "A heads-up would have been nice."
"I don't think she's into baseball," Liam says.
"No, definitely not." Brody chuckles some more, and even Road cracks a smile. "So, what's it like playing pro ball? That must have been a hell of a ride."
"Yeah." Liam grins. "It was."
Brody peppers him with more questions, wanting to know about some of the other guys he played with. Road is still standoffish but seems unsure how to act toward him now.
"So, are you playing any kind of ball these days?" Brody asks.
Liam shrugs. "Occasionally the local law enforcement gets together and we play each other."
"I'll bet you're in high demand there. "
"You could say my dance card fills quickly."
"The belle of the party."
"Something like that." They both laugh.
"I wonder if you'd be interested in playing on a team I put together every year."
"Oh, what's that?"
Brody leans against the minivan. "Well, I own a garage, and at the end of every summer, a bunch of us local business owners play each other. Softball. Just for fun. All the money raised goes to charity."
"And you want me to play?"
"I don't know if you'd consider it. We've lost three years in a row now, and I'm sick of losing."
"It would finally even things out," Roads says to his cousin.
Brody nods. "It sure would." He turns back to Liam. "Bill, the owner of Double A's Auto Supply, keeps bringing his brother-in-law over from Spokane. The guy played some minor league ball back in the day and is good."
"It's been giving them an unfair advantage every year," Road tells Liam.
"Send me the dates, and I'll check my schedule," he says to both men. "No promises, but if I can do it, I will."
"Damn, really?" Brody’s grin grows wide. "That would be awesome."
Blair has Tori cornered in the kitchen and is asking all sorts of questions about Liam. She has to admit her best friend's interrogation skills are way better than hers were with Wayne the other day.
So far, Blair's gotten all the details of the cabin trip out of her and has moved on to how much time she and Liam have been spending together since then.
"You've still got that pretty glow about you," Blair says. "At first I thought it was the vacation. "
"Trust me, it's Liam." Tori smiles. "I've honestly never been this happy."
Blair's expression softens. "Road and I want that for you. You know that, right?"
"Then stop being so rude to him."
"We're not rude."
Tori rolls her eyes. "Please. You two have been scowling at him since you got here."
"We're just concerned, that's all. I'm worried you're making another mistake with the wrong guy."
"I'm not, okay? And if you'd give him half a chance, you'd see that."
Blair doesn't seem convinced. "What about the bandito test? Does he pass that?"
"Yes, he passes the test. Heck, he'd rescue me, and then he'd go back and arrest all those banditos. Throw every one of them in jail."
Blair smiles. "That's one way to end it."
"Seriously, give him a chance.”
They head back out into the living room, and Blair helps her refresh everybody's drinks. Fiona's girlfriend, Sachi, has arrived, and Tori goes over to give her a hug.
"I'm so glad you made it."
"Me too. I saw your new ride." Her trio of small gold earrings catches the light when she nods. "She's a beauty."
"Thank you. I named her Samantha."
"Love it. It's perfect."
Fiona is talking to someone on her phone, giving instructions on how to answer questions from the press. "Always keep it positive and high level. Don't say anything negative. Ever. "
"Who's she talking to?" Tori asks Sachi.
"I think it's Lindsay."
"Really?"
After Fiona gets off the phone, she tells everyone that ESPN will be interviewing Lindsay in a half hour .
There are some cheers and a few "fuck yeahs" from people. Tori looks around the room, searching for Liam. She wants to make sure he doesn't miss this. Blair sees her and comes over filled with excitement.
"I've got better news than that interview," she says. "Natalie just texted me from Las Vegas. Apparently Lindsay and Giovanni found out this morning that their adoption is being approved."
Tori's eyes widen. "That's wonderful!" She knows Lindsay and her surgeon husband have been trying to adopt a baby girl for the past six months. "They must be thrilled."
"They are. Lindsay's so happy, she's worried she might not be able to play poker tonight."
Tori laughs. "That would be a funny reason not to play."
"It would be." Blair’s expression changes, darkens.
"What is it?"
She shakes her head. "I guess I'm just worried. I don't know why I haven't gotten pregnant yet."
"Oh, sweetie. It hasn't been that long."
"I know." Blair seems worried. "Except as you might remember, it happened really quick last time." She's referring to the miscarriage she had years ago.
"It’ll happen soon. I have a good feeling about it."
"You do?"
Tori nods. "I really do. I predict I’ll be an auntie before we know it."
"I hope so." They hug each other. "I'm sorry about the way I've been acting toward Liam too. I can tell you guys are happy together." Blair smiles. "I promise I'll stop scowling at him."
"I'd appreciate that." They hug again. Tori's glad they're making up. It's been terrible not being able to share her happiness with her best friend. "I hope my brother comes around."
"I'll talk to him." Something catches her attention. "Although this doesn't look so bad."
Tori turns and sees Liam, Brody, and Road all coming through the front door together. They seem to be having a pleasant conversation.
Liam sees her and puts his hand up. He says something to Brody and then heads her way.
"Everything okay?" Tori asks him.
"It's fine."
Blair gives him a big smile.
He seems surprised by it. "Did I miss something?"
"We had a talk," Tori says.
"Yes, I've decided to stop being a bitch to you," Blair tells him.
His brows go up. "Okay…. Well, I'm glad to hear that."
"I just want to let you know that what happened in the past stays in the past." She puts her hand on Tori's arm. "I'm going to go find my husband, but I'll talk to you both later."
After she's gone, he turns to Tori. "That was interesting."
"What can I say? She's finally coming around." She takes his hand. "Come on, I want you to meet Sachi."
Tori pulls him across the room. Fiona's eyes light up as soon as she sees Liam again.
"Oh my God , have you changed your mind about the book?"
His expression grows stern. "No, I haven't."
Fiona lifts her phone and does something to the screen with her thumb.
"Don't even think about it," he says. "You take another picture of me and that phone’s getting run over by my truck."
"Aren't you a lively one." Fiona smirks. "But don't worry, I have my ways. I'll get you in the end."
"Listen to you two." Tori laughs. "You guys are silly."
"Yeah, ha ha," Liam mutters.
She introduces him to Sachi, and the four of them talk for a while. Sachi's a software programmer, and it turns out Liam has some interest in the subject.
The whole party is going really well. When Lindsay shows up on TV, it's almost surreal. Everyone's watching her give the interview to ESPN.
"Look at her." Fiona studies the screen with a satisfied nod. "She's perfect ."
Tori has to agree Lindsay is great on screen. She's articulate and beautiful. Afterward, they continue to show clips of her playing poker.
Eventually the party winds down, and a few of her cousins come over to give her a hug goodbye. They're all polite to Liam. Some are friendlier than others, but Tori knew that would be the case.
Bringing a lawman into her family was like bringing a fox into the henhouse.
"Are you sure I can't get you to spend the night at my place?" Liam asks Monday morning.
He's getting ready for work while Tori watches him from bed. She enjoys how he puts on a nice suit every day. She's never dated anyone who dressed like that unless they were going to a wedding or a funeral.
It's oddly arousing when he slips that gun into his shoulder holster.
"Do I have to?"
He leans closer to the mirror, inspecting his jaw where he shaved this morning. "No, of course not."
"Are you staying there tonight?"
He comes over to the bed, where she's still wearing nothing but panties and a pink tank top, and sits next to her. "Fancy and I have to sleep there sometimes. It is my house."
She sighs. "I suppose so."
"You should come over. Bring your dogs. They might enjoy a change of pace."
"They might." She considers his words, then thinks about spending the night apart and how much she'll miss him. "All right, fine. We'll come over."
"Great. I'll meet you there tonight."
He starts to get up, but Tori reaches for his hand. "Do you have to go in right away?" There’s a husky note in her voice.
His eyes flicker down to her little tank top and panties. "Not necessarily."
"Good." She pulls him closer, surrounded by his freshly showered scent. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kisses him.
He rumbles with approval. The kiss deepens before he draws back, reaching around to pull his gun off.
"No, leave it," she murmurs. "Don’t take it off."
His hand stills, and he looks at her with a questioning gaze. His mouth kicks up in the corner. “All right, if that’s what you want."
She swallows and nods, amazed at how erotic she finds this. "Yes, that’s what I want."
The gun stays in place as he moves his hands to caress her hips before sliding up to pull her tank top off.
Within seconds, she’s naked, while Liam’s still fully dressed.
That’s what she wants too.
They kiss some more, and soon he’s on his back. She straddles him, his breathing uneven as he fondles her breasts, plays with her nipples. She unzips him and then positions herself over his hard-on.
"I didn’t know this turned you on," he says. "I might have to arrest you next time."
She laughs and then gasps when he pushes up at the same time she slides down. Pleasure floods her veins like warm water. The feel of him deep inside is so good. They move with each other.
Crazily, her eyes keep going to that gun in its leather holster. And then there’s that crisp white shirt beneath her fingers. His whole FBI vibe.
The truth is Liam is a man to be reckoned with. He catches bad guys and puts them behind bars.
It shouldn’t arouse her so much, but it does .
After a short while, his expression grows hot. His brown eyes turn nearly black. Strong hands grab her hips as he takes control.
He’s not gentle anymore, but she doesn’t want it gentle. He’s getting close to his breaking point. She knows him so well. Heat radiates out from where they’re joined.
When he groans and pulls her in tight, her eyes fall shut. Passion washes through her. Desire. Filling her limbs and womb with a kind of bliss.
Afterward, she lies over him, both of them catching their breath.
"Are you going to play with yourself after I leave?" Liam asks, stroking down her back. "Make yourself come?"
Tori’s lying naked on top of his fully clothed body. The various fabric textures press into her skin. "Yes." She lifts her head to look at him. "I am."
He smiles softly. "I’ll be thinking about you, then."
She caresses his jaw, filled with tenderness. No one’s ever accepted her like this. "It’s amazing how you make everything in my life okay."
After he leaves, she stays in bed for a little while and takes care of herself like she told him. Then she gets up, takes a quick shower, and sits at the table with her planner, going over today’s schedule. She has work to do for her brother's website, three pet sitting appointments, and Happy Pet Nanny snack deliveries.
Instead of being stressed though, there's an easy smile on her face. Thinking about Liam makes her feel warm and happy inside.
She remembers last night in bed together, talking quietly until late. Moonlight filtered through the blinds.
"I'm your man," he whispered, stroking her hair while they lay face-to-face. "You know that, right?"
"I know," she whispered back.
All those continents shifting inside her had produced this whole new landscape, a place she'd never been before, one that was blooming in a rainbow of beautiful colors.
When evening rolls around, she packs a small bag for herself, then loads all of her dogs' stuff into Samantha, and they drive over to Liam's house.
She parks her minivan right behind his black truck. Glancing around, she notes that his soulless neighborhood is exactly the same. Not one blade of grass out of place. She feels sorry for him living here.
"Your dogs don't exactly travel light, do they?" he says when he sees how much she had to bring.
"It's sort of how I imagine it is traveling with children."
He grins. "I guess you'll be ready if we ever have any, huh?" He scoops up all three doggie beds and carries them up to his front door.
She watches him for a long moment, enjoying the view and thinking about his words. It was only a joke, but it occurs to her if there were ever a guy she'd want to have kids with, it would be Liam. Without a doubt she knows he'd be a great dad.
Not that she has any experience in that area, having grown up without one, but she was around Blair's dad enough to have a good idea.
Once everything's unloaded, Tori sets up the doggie beds. Miss Fancy Pants is keeping a stern eye on her visitors. There are a few territorial growls, but Tori’s dogs catch on pretty quick as to what's off-limits.
It isn't long before they're all playing in the backyard. Liam decides it'd be fun to have a barbecue and is cleaning the grill.
"Your brother texted me today," he says, scrubbing burnt food away with a metal brush. "He invited me out for a beer later this week."
"Really?"
"I agreed to go."
Tori considers this. "No one's mentioned it to me. I wonder what he wants. "
Liam shrugs. "I guess we'll find out."
"How did he get your number? I didn't give it to him."
"From Brody. I told him it was okay." He explains how he's going to play on the softball team for her cousin's garage in September.
She tears a paper towel off and hands it to him. "That's nice of you."
"I figured, why not? It sounds like they could use my help."
"Every year, he and my brother take that softball tournament so seriously you wouldn't believe it." She rolls her eyes. "They strategize like two generals planning a war campaign."
Once the grill is clean, he puts it all back together. They check what groceries he has at home. He's been staying at her place so much, his cupboards are bare.
"Normally I'm happy to go shopping, but it might be best if I stay with the dogs," Tori says. "Since this is a new place for them and all."
"Sure, that's fine. I'll be quick."
They make a list and he heads out, except she parked her minivan right behind his truck. "Here, take my keys and drive Samantha." She digs them out of her purse. She's been enjoying her new ride lately, though she still misses Mable.
Liam leaves for the store, and she feeds all the dogs their dinner.
Right after she puts their bowls out, the front doorbell rings.
Thinking it might be Liam with his hands full, she swings it open eagerly, but unfortunately it's not him.
It's his sister, Elena.